Union Minister S.P. Singh Baghel Releases Devolution Index Report

Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Professor S.P. Singh Baghel, launched a devolution index report titled ‘Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States – An Indicative Evidence-Based Ranking, 2024’ in New Delhi on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister underlined that the report evaluates six critical dimensions of the Panchayats: Framework, Functions, Finances, Functionaries, Capacity Building, and Accountability. 

He also hailed the Index and called Panchayats the strongest institutions of democracy. Sharing the success story of Uttar Pradesh, the Minister mentioned that the state has revolutionized



its accountability framework through innovative transparency initiatives and robust anti-corruption measures.

The Index report provides insights into the progress of decentralization across States and Union Territories of the country. It also examines how autonomous panchayats are in making and implementing independent decisions. Further, the Devolution Index report serves as a tool for strengthening cooperative federalism and local self-governance, enabling States to identify areas for improvement and adopt best practices for more empowered and effective Panchayats.